[restingrobot]

Technically they could get the signature key, but they can't force Signal to publish it via the store. Users would have to download an .apk file and install it directly. At that point there is no reason to have the signing key at all as the phone will recognize a sideload as a third party install. As far as I know, the government cannot compel a company to do something like update an app.

[Mediterraneo10]

> but they can't force Signal to publish it via the store

Is there not a suspicion that Google, another US-based corporation, may have some agreement with American national security to supply malicious APKs to individual targets via the Play Store? Having Signal’s signing key would allow the state to present that custom-targeted APK as an ordinary Signal version update.

[vel0city]

While I'm not saying Google hasn't done something like this (I have no proof either way) there's a strong legal argument to be made that forcing a company to produce binaries is compelled speech which goes against the first amendment.